 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: davetrow
Date: 2010-02-02 18:04
I recently got bitten by the "big clarinet" bug and have started playing bass clarinet in our community band. It would be fun to branch out, and, after reading the post here on the advantages of the contra-alto, perhaps this is something I should look into.
But I can't find any information on a Model 515. What is this? Any advice?
Thanks.
Dave Trowbridge
Boulder Creek, CA
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Author: scott kurtzweil
Date: 2010-02-02 18:58
Dave -
I'm digging through the meager records we received from Kenosha before the plant was moved to Elkhart and I haven't found anything regarding a 515 contra. I'll keep looking but sources are few (unfortunately between France, Kenosha and Elkhart, not all of the records have remianed intact). You may want to try www.clarinetperfection.com to see if he has any info.
Best
Scott Kurtzweil
Kurtzweil Musical LLC
www.kurtzweilmusical.com
269-340-9013
scott@kurtzweilmusical.com
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Author: davetrow
Date: 2010-02-02 20:21
Scott, thanks for the quick reply. I emailed Steve at clarinetperfection and he says he thinks it's actually a contrabass clarinet. He's trying to find more information on it.
Dave Trowbridge
Boulder Creek, CA
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Author: Mark Horne
Date: 2010-02-02 22:02
I'm guessing that you saw a leblanc contra listed as a model 515 contra alto on that auction site.
I can give you a virtual guarantee that this is an early model 340 BBb contrabass clarinet to low D. The 515 is the serial number. Leblanc contra alto paperclips are model 350.
To the best of my knowledge Leblanc never put the model numbers on their contra clarinets. In addition, I have never seen a paperclip contra alto that did not have the extended range to low C. The low C clarinets (both contrabass and contra alto) can be identified by the bell extending to the top of the clarinet and by the two keys for the right hand thumb.
I have played a little contra clarinet in community band and they can be quite fun, although you may find that a good 50% or more of the repertoire lack proper contra parts.
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Author: davetrow
Date: 2010-02-02 23:11
Thanks much, Mark.
The knowledge available on this board is amazing! What a resource.
Dave Trowbridge
Boulder Creek, CA
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Author: scott kurtzweil
Date: 2010-02-03 13:06
Agreed. Leblanc has never (to my knowledge as well) put a model number on the instrument.
Scott Kurtzweil
Kurtzweil Musical LLC
www.kurtzweilmusical.com
269-340-9013
scott@kurtzweilmusical.com
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-02-03 13:21
Even though contra-alto parts may be a bit thin on the ground, you can still play from EEb tuba and bari sax parts (and putting some things down an 8ve when you feel there could be more tonal depth), and also the relatively easy transposition when playing off concert pitch bass clef parts.
A contra-alto built to low Eb will have concert Gb/F# as the lowest note which is a 3rd lower than a low C bass clarinet's lowest note (concert Bb below the bass clef - same as a bassoon's low Bb), though the low C paperclip contra-alto will obviously descend a minor 3rd lower than that to concert Eb (a semitone below low E on a double bass), so that will cover a lot of bass parts.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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